When the Cincinnati Reds (57-48) and Los Angeles Dodgers (58-44) first met in June, the Reds took two of three, a surprise at the time for the young squad. After a lot of winning, Friday night's rematch ending with a Reds win wasn't a shock at all. These are two of MLB's best offenses, and that's been on full display all season. Every game this weekend could end up being a playoff preview. This Sunday battle is the final meeting, starting at 4:10 p.m. EDT. Dodger Stadium will host the festivities.
Babe, wake up. Spencer Steer just went yard. @spenc__er pic.twitter.com/NPymgtxkg7
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 29, 2023
Finally finished with the Brewers, who kicked their butts and have a narrow lead in the division, Cincinnati is now looking ahead to beating everyone else in their path as they had been beforehand. It begins at the plate for the Reds, who are averaging over 5.00 runs per game since June 1. Cincinnati is fifth in walk rate, eighth in OBP, and uses those numbers to steal more bases than anyone. Strikeouts are a bit of an issue, but it hasn't stopped the Reds from becoming a top-10 scoring team, even with a middling home run counter.
What will likely hold back the 2023 Reds from a parade is a subpar pitching staff. The bullpen is eighth in WAR as a unit, but the rotation is shaky. Enter Graham Ashcraft, who enters Sunday's start with a 5.64 ERA, 5.27 FIP, and 1.545 WHIP. His numbers improve on the road and he has a 2.10 ERA in his past five starts, but a 9.7% walk rate will have him in frequent trouble. Ashcraft faced the Dodgers in June, only lasting 2.2 innings and surrendering three runs. Maybe recent momentum will produce better results.